go back
I got Walter when he was 9 years old. He grew fast and big! He looked imposing, but he liked dogs and people of all kinds. And, nothing could get him upset! In fact he had a calming effect on people. If I approached a mean-looking biker without Walter, the biker would say to me, “What are you looking at?” But, if I approached the same biker with Walter, the biker would smile and say, “Ahh...what a nice doggie.” Of course, taking care of him wasn’t easy. I had to invest in a snow shovel for his poops. Sometimes I even needed help from my friends. Then, there were the occasional accidents...like the time he got sick and sprayed my walls with diarrhea. He sprayed every wall in my living room! As a dog owner, I actually never knew what to expect. “There’s my sock”, I exclaim as I see him trying to pass it out of his butt. I put on some rubber gloves to pull the sock out of his ass. “Just trying to help you, boy”, I reassuringly said to him. But I knew one thing for sure, he was a great companion who added much to my life. As the years went by, most of the we just hung out. He was my best buddy! But one day, shortly after his seventh birthday, he got really fat. Overnight! So I took him to the vet. “Why is he so fat? What happened to him?”, I asked the vet. The vet responded, “He’s full of blood. The right side of his heart gave out.” I asked the vet, “Is he in pain?” “No, but he will be”, responded the vet. I hugged Walter and could barely get the words out, “Goodbye, my friend.” And that was it...I left in total shock! When I arrived home, I couldn't stop thinking about him. Somehow, I kept it together that day. But that night, I cried in my sleep. I missed my boy, mostly our deep connection. Dogs accept us as we are! Unconditional love! If you've recently experienced the loss of a dog, just remember...in time, beautiful memories will replace the sharpness of the loss. Now, when I think about Walter, I can't help but smile. Walter lives in my heart forever! This story is dedicated to Caelyn, one of Walter’s best friends.